With talks of changing existing trade deals by then candidate Donald Trump now a reality with President Trump, America has taken a different path for international trade. Seeing mixed results during negotiations...

The majority of the mainstream financial media steers investors to news stories that have little bearing on intermediate and long-term returns. The stories often have a short-term focus, centering on the problem...

Investment banks can be a good predicator for the health of the market in the near future. Investment banks make the bulk of their money on mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and financing...

Over the past 30 months, the price of a barrel of oil has increased from the mid-$30s to – in recent days – as high as the mid-$70s per barrel. At nearly half the historic $150 per barrel price level nearly 10 years ago, how will the market...

Italian Economic Autonomy - What this means for the Eurozone and the Markets

July 2018

Italy’s newly formed government is a coalition between two populist parties: Lega Nord (the Northern League) and Movimento 5 Stelle (the Five Star Movement). This coalition is floating the idea of issuing...

The Annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders' Meeting is something of a legend in the investment world. More than just an informational annual meeting, shareholders come from far and wide to listen to the...

Rising interest rates make a different animal of the stock market. Unlike when interest rates are steady or declining, positive earnings (overall for the market, not necessarily individual stocks) just...

After months of warnings from Wall Street that the markets’ extraordinarily long bull run could not last forever, the inevitable happened. Volatility returned to U.S. markets in a major way in February. The...

As January drew to an end, the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued to surge, extending its rally to log a year-to-date increase of 7.7 percent on Jan. 26. The last Friday of the month also saw record highs for both Nasdaq, and the Standard and Poor......

Before considering what might be ahead in 2018, perhaps it’s worth looking back to acknowledge that 2017 was a banner year – both a great year for U.S. stocks, as well as the year when international markets turned a corner......

As November drew to an end, market indices approached record levels buoyed by strong economic data and reassured by the testimony delivered to the Senate Banking Committee by Federal Reserve Chairman nominee Jerome Powell......

Standoffs with North Korea, three devastating hurricanes at home, escalating political tensions and political crises in Spain and Germany did not make a dent in Wall Street’s bull run in the third......

The U.S. equity markets ended the third quarter of 2017 seemingly impervious to acts of nature, as major Hurricanes Harvey and Irma hit Texas and Florida, as well as to escalating tensions between North Korea and the Trump White House......

Some investment commentators have been predicting that the bull market is about to plunge and turn bearish ever since this long-running bull market launched back in March 2009. At some juncture, the naysayers will be...

June often marks a mid-year lull in the stock market, but with no hiatus yet, the stock market continues the rally that began when President Trump took office in November. As we head into the second-quarter earnings...

March brought forth some upsets in the financial markets as the Trump Administration’s big push to repeal the Affordable Care Act hit the skids. Overall, investors received mixed signals from both the markets...

Two major issues that surfaced during February were the possibility of the Federal Reserve raising the benchmark interest rate "fairly soon," and the Trump Administration's promise to undo many of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms...

The biggest question on Wall Street is whether the Trump Presidency will be good (or bad) for investors. The year started with confidence as the Dow Jones Industrial Average overtook the 20,000 mark, but many questions remain on how President Trump will...

Despite much anxious hand-wringing, the bull market survived the Presidential Election results with only a couple of wobbles before finding its way back to firmer footing. Analysts have counted out this aging...

As we head into the election, the Stock Market is taking the presidential squaring-off in stride. Investors are sitting pretty. We are in the middle of the second-longest bull market in history and interest rates...

The stock market continues its steady, if unspectacular, progress. Despite long-term results that should have investment analysts applauding, the rally that continues to get no respect trudges along. The...

Until earnings results in the last part of April revealed some disappointments, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average looked ready to set new records. Mixed earning reports stalled the Dow's impressive...

March was a milestone month for the stock market. On March 9, the bull run celebrated its seventh birthday - one for the record books. Starting its first uptick at the end of the recession in 2009, this bull market...

After a summer of slumps and declines, the stock market roared back to life in October, posting a three-week rally that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at 17,646.70 on Oct. 23 - up 157.54...

As Memorial Weekend drew to a close, the three key stock market benchmarks in the United States were headed upward - the first time this year that they've all been positive at the same time - and the S&P 500 closed above 1,900 for...

Predicting stock market performance is about as sure-fire as predicting the weather. This year-end adds additional factors to the mix - tough negotiations among lawmakers over the so-called fiscal cliff, the possibility of...

As February drew to a close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 13,000, a peak not seen since early 2007. While many investment professionals agree that it’s just a number and that reaching it creates no tangible benefits,...

After a summer of ups and downs, the markets headed downward as September drew to a close. By Sept. 25, the decline had affected oil prices as well as the silver and gold markets – which were down 26 percent...

Investors were pleased to note that first quarter economic results showed a modest expansion despite lingering weakness in the housing sector. The nation’s gross domestic product grew at an inflation-adjusted...

Believe it or not, by June 2011 the U.S. economy officially will have been in recovery mode for two years, according to economic experts. As with any anniversary, this second year mark has prompted investment experts to contemplate where...

What a difference two days makes! Following the mid-April announcement that Standard & Poor’s had cut its long-term outlook on U.S. debt to negative, stocks declined precipitously, nearly reaching the...

2010 might be described as a year of frustration and doubt for U.S. investors. It was a year of constant ups and downs, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 crossing its opening benchmark of 1115 in January 2010 more than 160...

Pre-Thanksgiving economic data gave investors an early opportunity to embrace the Season of Good Cheer. Fears of a recessionary double-dip diminished as data from the Commerce Department was revised upward and first-time...

If there is a way to protect your stock holdings from volatility, no one has discovered it yet. JulyÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â’s stock market gyrations showed the dual effect of good earnings news coupled with disappointing economic...

On the last Friday of June, legislators unveiled a new bill designed to reign in risk-taking by financial institutions; provide consumers with protection from dicey financial products; and prevent a recurrence...

Pundits who predicted a market correction in early spring were finally proved right, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped below 10,000 in late May. We saw the benchmark index last close below 10,000 in early...

There is much to be happy about these days: the market is up almost 80 percent from its lows of 12 months ago, corporate earnings are beating estimates and business spending is on an upswing. The FedÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â’s announcement...

As the Dow edges closer to 11,000, pundits underscore the psychological impact of crossing that benchmark. Though opinions on the importance of this number vary, it is significant that the market has made...

The proverb, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" usually refers to spring weather, but investors have reason to hope that it proves true for the markets this year. FebruaryÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â’s...

The pull-back that occurred in the markets during the third week of January had both pundits and individual investors wringing their hands. The first major sell-off of the year wiped out the year-to-date gains and prompted concern...

We start 2010 with a much brighter situation than a year ago. The Standard and Poor's 500 Index climbed more than 24 percent in 2009 after taking a precipitous 37 percent decline in 2008. This reversal represents...

Few of us will be celebrating, but September marks the beginning of the financial meltdown that began in the housing sector, unraveled the financial system and precipitated a heart stopping seven months of...

Investors were cheered by a two-week rally at the end of July that lifted spirits and indices alike. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Index saw increases of more than 11 percent. The...

According to Thomson Reuters, U.S. investors are sitting on the sidelines with an estimated $900 billion they yanked from the market when it plunged in the fall of 2008. Although some of that money has made its way back into the market,...

Analysts and individual investors alike took heart from the recent rally that took us from late March into April, but a few weeks later we’re back to the same old question—is the worst over? Mixed news from the markets and the economy...

The stock market continued to test investors’ confidence in February. With the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) declining to levels last seen in 1997, and concerns over the possible effectiveness...

The optimistic spirit that pervaded Wall Street in the wake of President Obama’s inauguration was all too short-lived, as investors reacted to bad news from the housing sector and disappointing news about 5,000 job cuts from Microsoft. All...

January is usually the time for resolutions, and for investors it’s usually a time to look ahead and determine where growth opportunities lie. This year, both individual and institutional investors alike—novices and Wall Street...

The debate over whether or not the U.S. economy is in a recession appears to be moot. A 40 percent decline in the value of the stock market over the last 12 months and a hefty 18 percent drop in the first week of October...

To suggest to you that we are living through some frightening and uncertain times would be an understatement. The near collapse of U.S. and international credit markets has shaken governments throughout...

The Stock Market continued its dismal performance in July. The month saw some bright spots –when oil prices declined and companies posted good earnings reports—but those gains were quickly negated as investors reacted to gloomy...

As we sailed into summer, predictions for the six months ahead remained cautious at best. The Federal Reserve officially stated what pundits were expecting—that their worries about a weak economy continue, but...

The week prior to the Memorial Day weekend saw a decline of more than 2 percent in major indices, and the economic fall-out resulting from rising energy prices continued to be a major issue. Oil prices rose...

Economic reports released in late February showed that house prices continued to fall and that the cost of just about everything else –food, clothing and gasoline— rose. Correspondingly, consumer confidence dropped to its lowest...

Whatever their individual strategy might be, leading stock market analysts can all agree that the road ahead will be challenging. With potential threats that include recession, slowing corporate profits,...

Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining. Is that true for the stock market, too? The scary volatility of the market has hammered stock prices, but now investors have the chance to pick up some bargains—maybe. Market...

The specter of worsening conflict in the Middle East helped oil prices edge closer to $80 a barrel in mid-July. As a result, stock prices plummeted, wiping out nearly all the modest gains recorded by the major indexes...

Wall Street enjoyed a November rally and hopes for an end-of-year upswing remained high - especially when the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee hinted that the Fed’s rate hikes might be ending in the...

The first half of August saw a general slump in the market thanks to higher oil prices, discouraging news on job creation, and continued terrorism jitters. The S&P 500 hit a new low of 1062 on August...

Summer traditionally is a slow time on Wall Street, and some-but not all-of the recent torpor can be attributed to the seasonal slow-down. Uncertainties about the U.S. presidential election and the power...

April is the cruelest month according to T. S. Eliot. And though he did not have the financial markets in mind when he penned this line, many investors might well agree with him. Volatility was the watchword...

Last month saw another month of solid performance on Wall Street. While some cautious pundits question how much longer the current rally can last, individual investors continue to rush into the market in record...

January’s stock market performance demonstrates how difficult it is for both experienced market gurus and novices to accurately predict short-term moves in the market. Case in point--when the stock market closed...

Traditionally as the year draws to a close, the market gets a little quirky. And, this past November was no exception. Up some...and then down some, the market has responded feebly to good economic data and earnings...

After a dramatic run-up that included a 537-point surge in the Dow during the first two weeks of October, the market turned sour in the third week, despite a relatively strong batch of third-quarter...

Investors are entering the final quarter of 2003 with growing optimism, buoyed by sunny earnings forecasts that could make third-quarter earnings the best since third-quarter results in 2000. In September, stockholder...

With the Dow attaining the year’s highest close on August 18th and Nasdaq following suit the next day, neither the worst power outage in U.S. history nor terrorist blasts overseas deterred the markets as August...

The Bush administration is banking that the package of $320 billion in tax cuts and $30 billion in aid to States that Congress passed on May 23 will translate into some tangible benefits to Wall Street and...

Congress is attempting to eliminate several popular tax strategies so Wall Street investment managers are urging clients to act quickly. Many tax-saving techniques may be curbed if some in congress have their way....

Stable value funds are a good choice for people who cannot afford to lose any of their principal, says Ray Martin of State Street Global advisers. These funds, also known as Guaranteed Income Contracts or GICs, provide a guaranteed return of principal an...